Week 13: Easy > Tempo

In week 12, I was a slave to the dreadmill. But it kept me in line with my paces even though I wanted to go faster. This week I headed outside. Oops.

My slowest run was my actual scheduled tempo run--slowest probably because I ran on the dreadmill.

I moved my schedule around so that I am actually running my 20 miler tomorrow. Which means that this week ended up looking pretty paltry mileage-wise if we are looking at the Monday-Sunday thing. But next week I will top out at 40 miles even though I will technically begin my taper. Not sure when I'll be able to squeeze my 12-miler in. It might have to happen before I work on Sunday. Bleh!

I tacked on 2 extra miles on Friday because in switching my days around, I might lose the recovery miles I was to run post-20 miles. And because I was taking an extra day off...

Monday's run was very enjoyable. I found myself thinking that during the summer I was beginning to think that I wasn't capable of having buttah runs any more. Something always felt twingy and it was hot and it always felt so hard. Probably because I was still trying to run sub-8 miles in 90 degree weather.

But it was pleasantly coolish outside and I felt all yay-I-love-fall! The dogs loved that I decided to hang outside for a bit after I got home because it was so lovely out.

The tempo run was pretty good too. It felt relatively easy. I know I've made small steps downward in my speed over time and I reflected on my progress. A 9 minute mile for an hour was my old norm. Now I'd feel comfortable running sub-8 with the same amount of effort. Cool!

Friday's run was the best I'd had in a long, long time. I headed out when it looked like the rain had cleared out for awhile. The forecast was wrong though and I spent the first half of my run in the rain. I was wearing short sleeves and capris and it was pretty chilly in the mid 40s with pelting rain. I had my Garmin turned backwards on my wrist partly to protect it and partly to not look at it.

I tested out my new BQ Attempt Playlist and smiled every time a new song played. And I tested out my not-so-scientific theory that smiling mid-run when the elation begins to fade is guaranteed to give a minimal 10 second boost.

I remember hearing during the last winter Olympics that Apolo Ohno yawns on purpose before he races in order to get more oxygen. I have no idea if there is any scientific merit behind this, but I do occasionally yawn mid-run on purpose. Sometimes these little mental games have more power than we think!

When I finished my run and tapped the stop button on my Garmin, I did a double-take. An actual, honest-to-goodness-look-at-my-watch-twice-quickly-in-succession double-take. I couldn't believe how fast I had been going it and it felt fluid and good. I knew I was putting in the effort towards the end, but I was shocked how fast my pace was in the beginning. Guess rain and cold makes this wuss run fast.

You can't tell how dreary it is from the blinding purple of my shirt in this picture, but it was yucky:

And in the layperson world (when I'm not a running superhero), I have been gathering new inspiration from a small number of Grandma's cookbook collection. She is almost 91 and moved into a nursing home last month. I feel kind of sad that this part of her life she will never get to go back to, but I am happy to carry her torch:

Her love of cooking and baking definitely is in my blood. I made one of my favorite slow-cooker meals today--it simmered away while I was slaving away at work.

Five-spice pork wraps anyone?:

I am trying to think of ways I can smuggle my favorite beer to Rehoboth as it appears for only a few short weeks in the winter around here, but it's kind of hard when you are doing the carry-on thing. Guess I'll just have to save one (boo!) for when I get back:

Your doggy is supper cute. I always forget about Boston Terriers, and then I see one and I'm like, "CUUUUUUTTTTE!" I think it's the eyes.

I can always count on you for food pictures.

That's a really significant time drop, and it's great that the effort feels the same! This is totally something that I have been struggling with big time in recent years. If you've got any advice, I'm totally open to hearing it!

In the sport of running, you win some and you lose some, but either way, you're constantly moving forward. You don't stop moving forward until you stop running.

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